Method of finishing slide fasteners



,1967 A. FROHLICH ETAL ,35

METHOD OF FINISHING SLIDETASTENERS Filed July 19, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY METHOD OF FINISHING SLIDE FASTENERS Filed July 19, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1967 A. FROHLlCH ETAL METHOD OF FINISHING SLIDE FASTENERS Filed July 19, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 Karl TRMSY ATTORNEY A. FRCJHLICH ETAL 3,353,256

METHOD OF FINISHING SLIDE FASTENERS Nov. 21, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed July 19, 1965 United States Patent 3,353,256 METHOD OF FINISHING SLIDE FASTENERS Alfons Friihlich, Franz Hochlehnert, and Georg Glaser, all of Essen, Germany, assignors to Opti-Holding A.G., Glarus, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed July 19, 1965, Ser. No. 472,953 Claims priority, application (ggrmany, Apr. 3, 1965,

10, Claims. (Cl. 29408) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Our present invention relates to the completion or finishing of slide fasteners or, more particularly, to a method of finishing of slide fasteners of predetermined length.

In the manufacture of slide fasteners from continuous strips in which a slide-fastener element is mounted upon a tape or the like, it has been suggested to finish the slide fastener by severing sections of predetermined length from the continuous strip carrying the interlocked or separated slide-fastener halves, slipping the slider over the fastener elements, and thereafter applying the end stops to the respective tapes. The end members are thus applied after the slider has been slipped onto the matingly engageable elements from the end at which the length of slide fastener has been severed from the continuous strip. For the most part, this assembly of a slide fastener (i.e. to attach the slide thereto) has been carried out by hand, a process which is time-consuming, difficult and expensive. Only after the slide has been placed in position is the fastener completed for finishing by applying the end elements thereto. Thus, the end elements are also attached by manual insertion of the slide-fastener halves, previously provided with the slider into a machine for attaching the end elements to the strips.

It is thus an important object of the present invention to provide a method of assembling and finishing slide fasteners which will reduce and possibly eliminate many of the manipulations hitherto required and which will facilitate the mounting of the slider upon a slide fastener.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highspeed and relatively simple method of assembling and completing slide fasteners whereby the aforementioned difficulties can be obviated.

These and other objects of the present invention, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are attained in accordance with the present invention by a process for producing or assembling self-fastener units of predetermined length whereby a continuous fastener strip (having a pair of interlinked self-fastener elements each secured to a respective support band or tape) is apertured to form an opening or window into which a slide can be inserted, the fastener strip being temporarily deflected in the region of these openings so that the fastener elements are aligned with and receivable in the respective passages of the slider and a relative displacement of the slider and the continuous strip can draw the slider onto the strip. Only after the slider is in place upon the strip (i.e. has

Patented Nov. 21, 1967 been displaced relatively thereto beyond the opening and, possibly, in the opposite direction) is the fastener severed from the continuous strip with the desired length. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the relative displacement of the continuous strip and the slide is effected in a fastener-opening direct-ion and, during such relative displacement, the fastener halves are separated or discoupled one from the other. The formation of the opening in the continuous strip of coupled, longitudinally extending fastener elements and the inclining of the edges of this opening defined by the fastener elements to enable them to pass into the slider passages during the relative displacement described above, can be carried out in various ways; thus, a mandrel can be inserted in the opening to spread the elements upon and displace the inclined edges of the opening into intercepting relationship With the passages of the slider. The slider can be shifted While the continuous strip is held stationary (generally temporarily) or else displacement of the strip can move the latter through the slider when the slider is fixedly positioned; both a unidirectional relative displacement and a back-and-forth movement are possible.

According to a more specific feature of the present invention, the window or opening between the fastener elements is reinforced and well-defined so as to preclude distortion of the elements by the slider when the latter is passed through the window and onto the fastener strip; thus, in accordance with the present invention, sections of a reinforcing foil of synthetic resin can be applied to the continuous strip and can be perforated concurrently with the formation of the opening between the elements of the strip. While the use of this type of foil is most desirable, it is also possible to provide the foil with prefabricated openings. The openings in the strip can then be formed after the foil is attached. Best results have been obtained when the openings are of T-shape configuration with the leg of the T extending parallel to the interconnected elements of the slide fastener from the head of the T in the direction in which the slider is to be applied to the strip. The edges surrounding the leg of the T-shaped opening thus constitute the inclined edges discussed above. The foils serving to reinforce the opening at which the slider is mounted upon the slide fastener, can be severed to form simultaneously the terminal elements of the successive fasteners cut from the strip. In the commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 473,003, of even date, there is disclosed an apparatus for and a method of applying such stop-forming foils to a slide-fastener strip.

According to a more specific feature of the present invention, the foil is provided with stop formations deflectable by the slide fastener as it is drawn past these formations, but substantially unidirectionally effective to block reverse movement of the slider; thus, no additional means need be provided to serve as a stop for the slider at the end of the fastener at which the slider is applied.

Advantageously, the slider presses the continuous slidefastener strip out of its plane prior to the relative movement of the strip and the slider into a position in which the slider is aligned with the window of the strip. Thus, continuous movement of the strip, for example, while it is deflected by the slider, progressively moves the Window toward the slider and permits the latter to spring into the window as the latter is brought into the region of the slide-r. The present invention is operable with many different types of slide fasteners and the interconnectable fastener element can be composed of synthetic resin (e.g. a polyarnide) or of metal. For the most part, however, the present invention is concerned with syntheticresin slide fasteners in which the fastener elements are helices or meandering elongated filaments. Such fasteners are illustrated, for example, in U.S. Patents No. 2,919,482 and No. 3,063,119. The synthetic-resin foil laminate applied to the region of the Windows can thus be thermally bonded to the tape and/or the thermoplastic fastener elements. When the foil laminate is to constitute the stop elements at the ends of the slide fastener, no ancillary means need be provided for applying such stop elements. When a reinforcing foil is not used, however, injectionmolded or metallic stop elements can be used or the latter can be provided by molding or spraying of resin onto the tape and the ends of the fastener element.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the slide fasteners are completed from the continuous strip in an apparatus in which the strip is drawn past a slider-mounting station, the latter serving to form the T-shaped opening in the strip and position the slider at its opening. The slider is thus mounted upon the yetcontinuous band as the latter is drawn past the station and the slider fixedly positioned thereat. Only after a further displacement of the continuous strip are the several lengths severed from one another.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a slide-fastener strip after the reinforcing foil has been bonded thereto;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the slide-fastener strip showing a slider pressed transversely to the strip so as to deflect the strip in the region of the slider and bring the inclined edges of a T-shaped window into alignment with the passages of the slider;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the strip of FIG. 2, showing the region at which the slider is mounted upon the strip;

FIG. 3A is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the strip and slide fastener relatively displaced so as to bring the fastener elements into the slider;

FIG. 4 is a plan view corresponding to the crosssectional view of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the slider drawn onto the continuous strip;

FIG. 6 is another plan view similar to FIG. 5 showing the slider upon its return in the fastener-closing direction; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic elevational view of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 46, we show the successive steps in the mounting of the slider upon the band. From these figures it will be seen that a pair of interlinked longitudinally extending fastener elements 4, 4-" are each mounted upon a respective tape 1, 2 to form the continuous strip 3. This strip is to be subdivided into individual slide fasteners of predetermined length. At spaced locations corresponding to the ends of successive slide fasteners, generally T-shaped openings 6, with legs extending in the direction of fastener opening, are provided. The heads 5 of the openings extend generally transversely to the fastener elements 4, 4" so that the window is bounded, at least along the legs of the T, by a pair of edges inclined toward the plane of the strip upon deflection of the region of the opening (FIGS. 3 and 3A). This offsetting of the band can be effected by the slide fastener itself, e.g. by thrusting the slide fastener transversely to this plane against a yieldable support surface for the strip. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the slider, from its position in FIG. 2, can be shifted in the fasteneropening direction (arrow 8) relatively to the strip so that the inclined edges 4a pass into the respective openings 7 of the lower portion 7a of the slider 7. Continued relative displacement in the fastener-opening direction (from the position of the slider shown in FIG. 4) results in a separation of the fastener elements 4', 4". After the slider has been fully set in place, it can be returned (fastener-closing direction 14) to its position illustrated in FIG. 6. Thus the basic principles of the present invention can be carried out without stiffening of the edges of the opening to guide the slider onto the fastener elements. In practice, however, it is found that these elements are somewhat flexible and tend to deflect upon mounting of the slider so that it is desirable to provide reinforcement for the edges of the window.

To this end, a synthetic-resin foil 9, advantageously severed from a continuous strip and thermally bonded to the band 1, 2 as described in the copencling application mentioned above, is formed with a T-shaped aperture in registry with the T-shaped opening provided between the fastener elements. The formation. of the window in the flexible foil 9 can be carried out concurrently with the production of the opening in the fastener strip, according to this invention, when the openings are punched into the assembly after the foil has been positioned at the desired location by a thermal welding. Alternatively, the foil can be preformed with the openings and a spreading mandrel or the like can be inserted through this window to spread the fastener elements after the previously apertured foil. has been laminated to the strip. The projections 12, which are deflectable topass the slider 7 when the latter shifts relatively to the strip in the direction of arrow 8, can be molded onto the laminated foil or stamped therefrom concurrently with formation of the window therein; rearward movement (arrow 14) of the slider is barred by these unidireetionally effective projections.

While substantially any yieldable surface can support the fastener to permit its transverse displacement upon mounting of the slider '7, it is advantageous to constitute this surface as a spring-biased plunger 24 (FIG. 3). An apparatus incorporating such structure is illustrated in FIG. 7.

In the system illustrated in FIG. 7, the continuous strip 3, consisting of a pair of coupled slide-fastener halves, is displaced by a transport mechanism generally desig nated 15. The strip passes through an assembly station comprising a plate 16 whose opening 17 receives a plunger 24 biased by a spring 24' to the left. At this station, a slider-feed mechanism is provided, this mechanism including an upstanding magazine for the sliders whose discharge end 19' cooperates with a slider-setting device 18. The latter comprises a ram or slide 25 whose front end 26 is recessed to receive a slider 7 so disposed that the slider itself can deflect the strip 3 (FIG. 3) and urge the plunger 24 to the right. The slider-mounting assembly 18 is controlled by a photocell 22 whose lamp 23 is designed to energize the photocell when a preformed window 6 of the strip 3 is disposed between the photo cell 22 and the lamp 23.. Ram 25 is reciprocable toward and away fromthe strip 3 below the magazine 19 by a crank mechanism comprising a crank 27 and a pitman 27' to take up successive sliders from the magazine and press them against the strip 3. Ram 25 is provided with a pair of relatively shiftable portions 25a and 25b biased away from one another by a compression spring 28 which defines the force with which the sliders 7 are held against the strip 3 and, therefore, the transverse force with which the strips are held against the plunger 24. This force can be adjusted by preloading the spring 28 or by employing a spring with the corresponding stiffness coefficient. The motor 31 for the crank. drive 27, 27 is energized as. a window passes the photocell. 22 to press a slider 7 against the strip 3 before this window arrives at the location of the slider so that, with continued advance of strip 3, the slider 7 will spring into the window; the edges of this window, formed by the inclined stretches of the respective fastener elements, will thus be intercepted by the passages of the slider and the latter will then be drawn onto the continuously movable strip.

It is also possible to reverse the strip 3 by a temporary reversal of the motor 37 which rotates a drive roller 20;

the strip 3 is held thereagainst by a spring-loaded counterroller 21. Idlers 20' and 20" deflect the strip 3 to insure substantially positive entrainment. A further motor 40, coupled with drive rollers 41, can also be provided for this momentary and relatively slight reverse displacement of the strip to draw the slider relatively thereto in a fastenerclosing direction (FIG. 6). During the return movement of the ram 25, the strip 3 can be displaced at a relatively high rate together with the slider 7 disposed thereon.

The apparatus of FIG. 7 operates as follows: The strip 3 is formed with windows 6 with or without application of the reinforcing-foil laminate 9 by a system such as that illustrated and described in the copending application mentioned above. The strip is then passed between a transport roller 29 and a brake shoe 30 which, under the action of a spring 30', maintains the strip 3 under tension as the latter is dis-placed by rollers 20, 21 and motor 37 in the direction of the arrows. The photoelectrio means 22, 23 senses the windows 6 of the strip as the latter pass between the photoelectric cell 22 and the lamp 23 and the rotary solenoid of motor 31 is then energized to displace the ram 25 to the right whereby a slider from magazine 19 is carried by the ram against the strip 3. The slider, held by the ram 25, deflects the strip 3 out of its plane and shifts the plunger 24 to the right (FIG. 3) whereby continued movement of strip 3 draws the slider onto the fastener elements. A slider-assorting drum 32 co-operates with the magazine 19 to deposit the sliders with the proper orientation in the magazine, this drum functioning in the manner of rivetsorting devices and the like. An electromagnetic or mechanical detent 33 feeds the sliders successively to the ram 25 upon each reciprocation of the latter there-by insuring that only a single slider 7 will be supplied during each stroke. Continued displacement of the strip 3 brings the window 6, into which this slider 7 has been inserted, into alignment with second photoelectric means (i.e. the photoelectric cell 34 and the lamp 35) to again actuate the solenoid 31 for the return stroke of the ram 25. The spacing of the second photoelectric means from the slide-mounting location will, of course, determine the distance through which the slider is displaced in the fastener-opening direction. The process is repeated when the next window is aligned with the photoelectric means 22, 23. The ram 25 is provided, according to this invention, with a plunger 4 36 designed to apply pressure to the head of a slider having automatic locking means preventing relative displacement of the slider and the strip, to release such locking means and permit an unobjectionable movement of the slider upon the strip.

After the slider 7 has been mounted upon the strip, the latter can be carried to a severing station diagrammatically presented by the blades 50, 51 at which the individual slide fasteners are cut from the continuous strip along the head of each T-shaped opening. Photoelectric means 52, 53 can be provided for operating the severing means 50, 51. If desired, the configurations of the end members of the slide fastener can be formed at a shaping station 54, 55 by hot-pressing or molding.

The motor 37 can be of the reversible pole, electricallybraked type and can be energized via the photoelectric means 22, 23. In this fashion, it is possible to displace the strip 3 at a high speed between insertions of the slider 7 in the strip. During such insertion, the speed of the strip can be substantially reduced. In this manner, an efficient utilization of the apparatus is possible especially for relatively long slide fasteners and, consequently, considerable distances between the windows.

We claim:

1. A method of producing individual slide fasteners from a continuous strip having a pair of interlinked elongated fastener elements mounted upon respective bands, comprising the steps of (a) forming windows between said elements at spaced locations along said strip; (b) mounting respective sliders on said strip by inserting them respectively through said windows, and relatively displacing said sliders and said strip by holding said sliders stationary and continuously moving said strip; and (c) severing said strip after the mounting of the respective sliders thereon to produce individual slide fasteners provided with respective sliders, said windows being generally of T-shaped configuration with a head extending transversely to the strip and a leg extending longitudinally between said elements, each slider deflecting the portion of each opening above the head of the respective T out of the plane of the strip to bring the edges of the window into the passage of the slider.

2. A method of producing individual slide fasteners from a continuous strip having a pair of interlinked elongated fastener elements mounted upon respective bands, comprising the step of (a) forming windows between 1 said elements at spaced locations along said strip; (b) mounting respective sliders on said strip by inserting them respectively through said windows, and relatively displacing said sliders and said strip; and (c) severing said strip after the mounting of the respective sliders thereon to produce individual slide fasteners provided with respective sliders, each of said sliders being inserted through the respective window by offsetting a portion of said strip in the region of the windows out of the plane of said strip so as to form a pair of inclined edges for the window and longitudinally displacing the respective slider and the strip relatively to bring the inclined edges into respective passages of the respective slider upon such relative displacement.

3. The method defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of continuing the relative displacement of said slider after engagement of the slider with the respective pair of edges through a distance in excess of the length of the slider to shift said slider relatively to said strip beyond the respective pair of edges in fastener-opening direction.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein said portions of said strip are deflected out of the plane thereof by thrusting the respective sliders against said portions of said strip in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the strip.

5. The method defined in claim 3, further comprising the step of relatively displacing each slider and the strip in the fastener-closing direction .upon the fastener being shifted beyond the respective pair of edges.

6. The method defined in claim 3 wherein each fastener is held relatively stationary during said relative displacement and said strip is moved substantially continuously therepast.

7. The method defined in claim 6, further comprising the step of accelerating said strip to a relatively high speed between insertions of said sliders through said windows and reducing the speed of said strip during insertion of said sliders through said windows.

8. The method defined in claim 3 wherein said windows are of generally T-shaped configuration with a head extending transversely to the strip and a leg extending longitudinally between said elements, each slider deflecting the portion of each opening above the head of the respective T out of the plane of the strip to bring the edges of the window into the passage of the slider.

9. The method defined in claim 3, further comprising the step of reinforcing said edges by laminating a resin foil to said strip at each of said portions, said foils being provided with respective openings registering with said windows and coextensive therewith.

10. The method defined in claim 9 wherein said foils are thermally bonded to said strip.

11. The method defined in claim 9 wherein said openings are preformed in said foils and said foils are subsequently mounted upon said strip, said windows being produoed by passing a mandrel through the openings of the respective foils.

12. The method defined in claim 9 wherein said open- 7 ings and the respective windows are stamped from said strip and the foils bonded thereto simultaneously.

13. The method defined in claim 9, further comprising the step of providing said foils with stop formations in the path ofthe respective sliders deflectable upon engagement thereby in fastener-opening direction but interceptin-g said sliders to prevent displacement thereof beyond the stop formations in fastener-closing direction.

14. The method defined in claim 9 wherein said sections are severed from the strip through the respective foils and the foil portions at the extremities of the individual sections thus produced are formed into. end stops for the individual slide fasteners constituted by said sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,879,588 3/1959 Morin 29408 2,949,666 8/1960 Rogers et al7 29211 3,118,219 1/1964 Perrella 29-208 3,127,670 4/1964 Bruning 29408 3,234,637 2/1966 McMahon 29-408 3,234,638 2/1966 Rojahn 29-408 THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING INDIVIDUAL SLIDE FASTENERS FROM A CONTINUOUS STRIP HAVING A PAIR OF INTERLINKED ELONGATED FASTENER ELEMENTS MOUNTEDUPON RESPECTIVE BANDS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) FORMING WINDOWS BETWEEN SAID ELEMENTS AT SPACED LOCATIONS ALONG SAID STRIP; (B) MOUNTING RESPECTIVE SLIDERS ON SAID STRIP BY INSERTING THEM RESPECTIVELY THROUGH SAID WINDOWS, AND RELATIVELY DISPLACING SAID SLIDERS AND SAID STRIP BY HOLDING SAID SLIDERS STATIONARY AND CONTINUOUSLY MOVING SAID STRIP; AND (C) SEVERING SAID STRIP AFTER THE MOUNTING OF THE RESPECTIVE SLIDERS THEREON TO PRODUCE INDIVIDUAL SLIDE FASTENERS PROVIDED WITH RESPECTIVE SLIDERS, SAID WINDOWS BEING GENERALLY OF T-SHAPED CONFIGURATION WITH A HEAD EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE STRIP AND A LEG EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAID ELEMENTS, EACH SLIDER DEFLECTING THE PORTION OF EACH OPENING ABOVE THE HEAD OF THE RESPECTIVE T OUT OF THE PLANE OF THE STRIP TO BRING THE EDGES OF THE WINDOW INTO THE PASSAGE OF THE SLIDER. 